Senate panel orders pause to power-distribution privatisation and urges CCI review

During a meeting in Islamabad, the Senate Sub-Committee on Devolution, led by Senator Zamir Hussain Ghumro, ordered the Privatisation Commission to halt the privatisation of power distribution companies unless the Council of Common Interests (CCI) gives approval, warning of a privilege motion if the process proceeds. The committee highlighted that Discos perform provincial duties and must either be legalised by provincial assemblies or transferred to the provinces, stressing the need for transparency after the Steel Mills and PIA deals raised doubts.

Senators Jan Muhammad Buledi and Poonjo Bheel, along with Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and senior officials, reviewed compliance with the 18th Constitutional Amendment and federal-provincial devolution. Ghumro urged a constitutional audit to cut federal spending from Rs19 trillion to Rs13 trillion and demanded audited expenditure reports from the Auditor General and Controller General of Accounts. The panel also discussed policing, media devolution, and the Thar coal electricity project, praising its contribution to the national grid while noting local employment concerns. The cabinet secretary confirmed that the CCI functions as a constitutional forum comparable to the federal cabinet.